1. Technical Field
This invention relates generally to document production apparatus such as copiers, printers, and other marking engines having operator-selectable features; and more particularly to what happens to a feature that has been automatically deselected because it conflicts with a higher priority feature when the higher priority feature is itself deselected.
2. Background Art
Document production apparatus are known which provide for different operator-selectable features. Many of the available features include options which allow the operator to be more specific in the actions that the document production apparatus is to employ on a job. For example, in a COVERS feature, a special sheet is provided for the front and/or back pages of a multiple-page document.
Generally, there is a default mode in which certain features are automatically selected prior to any operator input. The options associated with the default features are also automatically configured. On power-up or reset of the apparatus, the default mode is automatically designated, and its pre-programmed features and options configuration are automatically selected. The operator may select other available features and/or options for the entire document or any portion thereof.
Often, the selection of available features includes mutually exclusive features. Conflicts between mutually exclusive features must, of course, be resolved, and a common practice is to prioritize the features. An operator will not be permitted to select a lower priority feature if a higher priority, mutually exclusive feature is already selected.
Similarly, when a higher priority feature is selected, a conflicting lower priority feature must be deselected. In most cases, a message is displayed that either the new feature may not be selected or that a lower priority feature has been automatically deselected. It is also common that an audible tone is sounded to draw the operator's attention to the message display.
Such known methods for resolving conflicts between mutually exclusive features work well, and are widely used. However, there is a problem with the known methods when an operator changes his or her mind after selecting a high priority feature that has caused a conflicting lower priority feature to be deselected. Anytime after selecting a feature, but before a document production job starts to run, the operator may decide to deselect such a higher priority feature. Selecting, and then deselecting the high priority feature may cause the unintended consequence that the deselected lower priority feature remains deselected. The lower priority feature will then need to be re-selected by the operator.
Accordingly, a system is needed for efficiently and automatically restoring the deselected lower priority features when it has been predetermined, based on the history of operator interaction with the document production apparatus, that the restore of the deselected lower priority features is desired. Restoring the lower priority features that have been deselected when a higher priority feature is selected and then deselected would eliminate the need for the operator to reselect the lower priority features. Further, the chance that the document production apparatus will produce undesired output would be reduced. The operator would not have to review the feature selections after selecting then subsequently deselecting a feature. Without automatic restoration, the lower priority features needs to be manually reselected, and it is always possible that the operator will not realize that a lower priority feature needs to be reselected.